GOING ON A SHORT FAST

“I have recently become interested in partaking in a fast. I have read you article about your 23-day experience and find that simply amazing. However I do not intend to attempt such a great feat right away, although I do wish to accomplish a small 3-5 day fast. I was hoping you could provide me with the necessary information to complete this goal as safely as possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

ANSWER: As mentioned in my books, it is not safe to fast more than 3-5 days on your own. Do not attempt such a fast on your own, even if your initial experiment seems positive or easy.

A short fast can be safely undergone on your own but if you have any health condition you should consult a qualified health professional before attempting it.

It is important to know that the “real” fast doesn't really start until day 3, or even day 5-6. What does that mean? During the first days of the fast, your body lives on its immediate reserves: the glycogen stored in the muscle, the food still in the digestive tract, etc. Then it slowly goes into the fat-burning metabolism where it starts to burn its fat reserves as fuel.

However, it is still beneficial to fast only a few days, just to give the digestive system a break and allow for some detoxification to occur.

Ideally, you want to rest as much as possible. Plan to spend all day in bed. If you fast a few days but work all the time because “you have so much energy” - the benefits of this fast are very limited. Better to fast 3 days in bed than 10 days while working.

You also want to drink enough water so you go to the bathroom 6-8 times in 24 hours.

Also be aware that during a fast, even a short one, you can get dizzy quickly when standing up and can pass out and hurt yourself. So it is imperative that you move slowly when getting up.

If someone around you is not supportive of you fasting, it would be a bad idea to attempt a fast.